Category: Avionics

Safran Electrical & Power’s Interconnection Systems Americas Appoints Varela as EVP/GM

Starting on December 1st, 2021, Ricardo Varela is appointed executive vice president and general manager of Safran Electrical & Power’s Interconnection Systems Americas division, which specializes in aeronautical electrical cabling for western hemisphere. He will replace Jorge Ortega, who has been appointed CEO of Safran Cabin.

Varela began his career in 1996 as General Manager of Integradora Makawi (agro industry). In 2000, he joined Johnson Controls (automotive) as Maintenance Repair & Overhaul (MRO) and Logistics leader.

In 2002, he was hired by Labinal in Chihuahua, which has since become Safran Electrical & Power, as Materials superintendent. In 2004, he was appointed program manager for Hawker Beechcraft, then in 2006, he became General Manager Design Office for Mexico. In 2008, he joined the Everett site in the US as Engineering leader of the Boeing 787 end-to-end program.

In 2010, he was appointed general manager of Safran Engineering Services Americas, and then in 2018, he became Vice President of Boeing projects for the Interconnection Systems Americas division in addition to this role.

Varela, 48, is a graduate of the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (1996), Mexico.

Aerospace Maintenance Competition Back on in April 2022

The Aerospace Maintenance Competition Presented by Snap-on is back on for 2022.

“We’re very happy to be back hosting the AMC and hope that teams from around the world can join us in showcasing their maintenance and troubleshooting skills next April in Dallas,” said Ken MacTiernan, chairman, Aerospace Maintenance Competition.

The AMC coincides with the MRO Americas 2022 Convention, April 25-28, at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. The annual competition for aircraft maintenance professionals and aspiring students has been cancelled for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Team registration opens Oct. 1 at:

https://www.aerospacecompetition.com/

MacTiernan said excitement of the AMC’s return is growing within the maintenance community, as several airlines, MROs and schools have already verbally committed to fielding a team in next year’s competition.

“The AMC is a great venue for everyone to reconnect and stand proud again for our craft,” MacTiernan said. “Although the travel industry certainly slumped over the past year, we’ve never really left. Mechanics were still fixing airplanes. Students were still in school. Manufacturers were still building aircraft. The AMC is back, but collectively as a maintenance community, we never really left.”

Over the past several years, the Aerospace Maintenance Competition Presented by Snap-on has grown to become a widely attended international aviation experience for both technicians and fans. The venue provides certified AMTs from major airlines, MROs and OEMs, as well as military personnel and students in FAA Part 147 schools, the chance to test their skills against their peers.

Participants compete in more than 20 events, including challenges such as airframe damage inspection, cable rigging, fiber optics, engine fan blade removal and many others that test their knowledge, skill and team work.

The team earning the overall best score takes home the grand prize in aviation maintenance – the William F. “Bill” O’Brien Award for Excellence in Aircraft Maintenance. Presented by Snap-on, the coveted award signifies the highest standard of excellence in aviation maintenance. The O’Brien Award is a traveling trophy that debuted at the 2013 competition. The winning team receives the honor of displaying the 5-foot-tall trophy in their facility for a year. In addition to the trophy, Snap-on is awarding more than $75,000 in tools and equipment as prizes to the top finishers in the competition. In 2019, the five-member team from United Airlines Team Cleveland won the O’Brien Award for the third straight year. 

For information on the 2022 Aerospace Maintenance Competition Presented by Snap-on, visit:

https://www.aerospacecompetition.com/

Avotek Releases Avionics: Systems and Troubleshooting, 3rd edition

Avotek announced publication of Thomas Eismin’s “Avionics: Systems and Troubleshooting, third edition.” The textbook remains an advanced avionics resource for engineers, technicians, educators, and their students. Readers will gain a better understanding of line troubleshooting and computer-controlled aircraft, functional concepts of avionics systems, and the entire aircraft.

“This advanced textbook will bring avionics students well ahead of any FAA advanced electronics requirements and satisfy the needs for both corporate and air carrier technicians,” Eismin, an experienced avionics professor and author, said.

For this third edition, Eismin’s improvements include updating the content with technological changes and FAA regulations; adding technical information for modern aircraft (i.e., Cessna Mustang, Boeing 787, and Airbus A350); updating the discussion on fiber optic data transfer systems; updating material on sensor technologies, data link services, and airborne broadband for passenger entertainment; and more.

Copper-based ARINC818 Conversion Cards by iWave Systems for High-Speed Avionics Video

The ARINC 818 video transmission protocol has gained wide adoption as a standard for high-performance video systems in military and commercial aircraft. ARINC818 lends itself to applications that require few connectors, low weight, EMI resistance, or long-distance transmission. It serves as an interface solution for a wide range of used cases that includes cockpit recorders, cockpit simulators, video concentrators, infrared sensors, etc.
Typically, ARINC818 is implemented over optical and copper channels for speeds between 1Gbps to 3Gbps, but beyond 3Gbps it is implemented exclusively over fibre optics links.
Many avionics industries use copper transmission at a 1x link rate (1.0625Gbps) to provide low-resolution video at higher frame rates and high-resolution video at lower frame rates. Furthermore, with bit error rate having a significant impact in characterizing the performance of the data channels, achieving lower bit error rates in the received video frames via a copper medium is challenging compared to an optical medium.
As a global leader in ARINC818 protocol-based products, iWave Systems successfully implemented ARINC818-based video transmission over the copper transmission medium. With cabling playing an important role in copper transmission medium for getting the expected quality of video output, the R&D team analyzed various key factors to deal with the copper cables.
ARINC818 video transmission via conversion cards over the copper transmission medium
The ARINC818 to DVI and vice versa conversion card setup was used to observe the video output quality originating from the video source. The DVI input was converted to ARINC818, transmitted over the 100-Ohm copper cable, and converted back into DVI. Twinax shielded copper cable and Custom Quadrax copper cable were used in the setup to test the feasibility of transmission at a differential impedance of 100-Ohm and data transfer rates at 1.0625Gbps.

Implementation considerations
Various key factors were considered while implementing the copper-based interface such as,
• type of copper connectors & cables to be used
 Twinax shielded copper cable
 Custom quadrax copper cable
• cable characteristics to be considered which affects the output from copper connectors such as
 type of cable based on shielding, to provide EMI resistant transmission
– Cables can be the main source of transfer for EMI, both as a source and receiver. The primary way to combat EMI in cables is through the use of shielding. Shielded twinax and quadrax cable were used in the setup to get a stable video output
 impedance characteristics to offer undegraded throughput
– It was made sure that copper connector, mating plug, and copper cable have the same impedance characteristics to avoid throughput degradation
 cable length, to provide stable video output without any frame loss
– Since signal loss dramatically increases with the increase in data rate, to obtain the maximum length of the cable whilst maintaining the thickness repeated tests were conducted with different lengths of cable at different data rates.
 shielding ground connection for stable video output without any error or glitches
– Shield ground connection was carefully done to get the proper output without any error and glitches in the video
A full suite of tests was conducted for ARINC818 IP over the copper transmission medium proving that iWave’s ARINC818 protocol conversion cards are promising for applications where robustness, low latency, and reliability are necessary.

Fig 1.3: ARINC818 to DVI Conversion card
ARINC818 to DVI & Vice Versa conversion card features
• Rugged standalone module in 6U form factor
• Supported configuration is
o ARINC818 to DVI conversion
o DVI to ARINC818 conversion
o 2x ARINC818 Duplicator/Splitter
o 2x ARINC818 Switch
• Supports both front panel & backplane configuration
• MIL-Grade PCB
• Flexible cPCI connector for video transmission, reception, and communication with the system
• Supports both progressive & interlaced video up to Full HD @60fps
iWave Systems, with its 21 years of valuable experience in the FPGA domain, offers an extensive suite of ARINC818 protocol-based solutions and has successfully delivered several custom designs to our esteemed clients around the world. The ARINC818 IP embedded conversion cards can be leveraged to meet the advanced avionics applications with a significant requirement in terms of performance and reliability.
iWave Systems relies on years of expertise to assist you in the realization of your ideas with our complete range of comprehensive ARINC 818 solutions –

More information on ARINC 818 Solutions can be found here.
With 21 years of valuable expertise in the FPGA domain, iWave Systems offers FPGA designs tailored to meet customer’s specific requirements. We offer an extensive suite of FPGA based IP cores such as ARINC818 Complete suite, Storage, Legacy processors, and video processing IP’s.
iWave Systems presents an extensive portfolio of standard/custom System On Modules, SBC based on Xilinx Zynq & Zynq MPSoC SoC devices, Intel Arria10 & Cyclone V devices, and comprehensive Engineering design services involving embedded hardware, FPGA, and software development in servicing to multiple domains across the globe such as Industrial, Medical, Automotive, IoT and Computer Vision.
For more information or inquiries, please write to mktg@iwavesystems.com or log on to our website www.iwavesystems.com

W. L. Gore & Associates Offers Ultra-Low-Loss 12G-SDI Coaxial Video Cable for Defense Applications

W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) announced the expansion of its Coaxial Cables line for defense land system applications. The new product is smaller and lighter than previous offerings, yet capable of transmitting ultra-high-definition (UHD) 4K video with excellent shielding from radio frequency interference.

The cable meets a variety of internationally recognized civil and military specifications, including the latest Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) 12G-SDI standard. Published in March 2015, 12G-SDI defines a 12 gigabit per second transmission of uncompressed, latency-free UHD 4K video at 60 frames per second on a single wire. Gore is committed to delivering this performance at operating temperatures ranging from -55 to 200 degrees Celsius.

“Military vehicles today include multiple sensors that generate critical video during missions,” said Andrea Menconi, product manager for land systems. “GORE Coaxial Cables can transmit this UHD video reliably and securely, even in the harshest environments.”

Designed for use with remote-controlled turret cameras, local situation awareness, and other video-generating sensor systems, GORE Coaxial Cables are engineered with a specialized fluoropolymer insulation. This provides superior resistance to weather, abrasion and other hazards associated with extreme weather, rough usage and confined routing space.

“Vehicle and system engineers no longer need to compromise,” Menconi added. “Our Coaxial Cables are smaller, lighter and more flexible, while also providing unequalled video resolution performances, high durability and standards compliance to reduce long-term operating costs.”

GORE Coaxial Cables are available in a standard size via distributors. Visit gore.com/cable-distributors for more info.

Nespresso Trials Drone Delivery in Pilot with Airwayz, SkylinX and FlytechIL

A significant step towards the commercialization of drone delivery has been taken as the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality opened a route along its shores for a pilot scheme made possible by Airwayz, SkylinX and FlytechIL. As part of the pilot program, Nespresso will deliver coffee capsules to a targeted group of customers along the route, paving the way for the future of efficient and sustainable last mile subscription delivery.

“The consumer experience is king at Nespresso,” states Shai Dinur, director of Customer Care and Services at Nespresso Israel. “I believe drone delivery could really transform the ordering process and our responsiveness, reducing delivery times and really going the extra mile for consumers who love exceptional coffee.”

Promoting solutions for a smart city, the pilot program views drone delivery as a solution to reduce traffic and decrease the carbon footprint of delivery in Tel Aviv, whilst enhancing the consumer experience. The pilot will evaluate drone delivery in an urban environment in terms of safety, noise and privacy considerations and other challenges relating to flying drones in populated areas.

Tel Aviv Mayor, Ron Huldai, welcomes the move, stating: “The future is already here. We are beginning a pilot in Tel Aviv-Jaffa that will test, in a measured and correct way, the ability to use drones commercially in an urban space. We do that in a controlled manner to assess capabilities, but also to find the right balance for free and open urban air routes.”

The route for drone flights runs along the coastline in of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, creating a direct connection between the Reading area in the north and Jaffa Port in the south. Moving over urban areas, popular beaches and a busy port, the pilot scheme provides a suitably challenging route to demonstrate the commercial viability of drone delivery.

Using AI (Artificial Intelligence), Airwayz UTM (Unmanned Traffic Management) provides a pivotal role in the program, managing multiple fleets of drones from different operators in the airspace at the same time. Drones and other low-flying aircraft are kept safe from collision and the process is optimized to allow drone operators to maximize capacity of the airspace, making deliveries as fast as possible without overcrowding the airspace.

“This pilot program is another crucial step forward in showing that drone delivery not only works, but has huge benefits in easing our overcrowded roads, contributing to sustainable last mile delivery and meeting the superfast demands of today’s consumer,” adds Airwayz CEO, Eyal Zor, “We will also show it to be cost-effective to prove the commercial benefit, but principally, it will be done safely.”

The pilot also sees Airwayz working in partnership with SkylinX, developer and operator of the drone take-off and landing sites, and FlytechIL, piloting the drones. In addition, Flying Cargo, a leading logistics company will be making deliveries, and GettDelivery, a global transport company, will be helping connect the new service to end customers.

Eden Attias, SkylinX chairman, commented: “Transporting packages with drones will not only decrease traffic, shorten delivery times, save time and fuel and improve customer service, but it will also decrease pollution while being much cheaper. In the not-to-distant future, the field of deliveries will become robotic and the entire process will be without human intervention. We are happy to be one of the companies leading the revolution in Israeli and global markets.”

Panasonic Avionics and GigSky Partner to Upgrade In-Flight Mobile Connectivity

Panasonic Avionics is enhancing its in-flight mobile connectivity offering through a strategic partnership with GigSky, a global mobility provider based in Silicon Valley, California.

The partnership between Panasonic Avionics, its subsidiary AeroMobile and GigSky enables any eSIM-equipped mobile phone user to enjoy their in-flight mobile connectivity service—regardless of network operator—on selected airlines and flights. By downloading the award-winning GigSky app prior to departure, passengers can effortlessly pay for and access a daily connectivity pass.

“Digital innovation is at the forefront of everything we do at Panasonic Avionics. Our collaboration with GigSky marks our first eSIM partnership and enables us to enhance and bring more choice to the passenger experience,” said Kevin Rogers, senior director, Mobile Services at Panasonic Avionics. “With GigSky’s support of our mobile services platform, passengers can connect their mobile phones across the globe regardless of which network provider they are with, replicating on-the-ground integrated connectivity in the skies.”

Ravi Rishy-Maharaj, founder and CEO at GigSky, added, “We are thrilled to partner with Panasonic Avionics to bring a first-of-its-kind service to airlines and passengers. Through the GigSky app, we now offer data services in the air, land, and sea with our partners. With the addition of an inflight plan, customers can stay connected at their destination–and in between destinations–truly enabling an always-online, always-connected experience, anywhere they go.”

Spartan and Teamsters Form Historic Partnership

Officials from Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced the formation of an exclusive educational partnership between them. Spartan College and the Teamsters Union will host a signing day in August.

To serve the educational goals of Teamsters and their families, Spartan College offers special scholarships to those who qualify at all four campus locations – Tulsa, Oklahoma; Broomfield, Colorado; Riverside and Inglewood, California. Through this partnership, Teamsters and Spartan are committed to co-developing custom training to ensure their students are at the forefront of emerging aviation industry needs.

“We are thrilled about this monumental partnership,” said Rob Polston, Chief Executive Officer at Spartan. “We know this partnership will allow us to match our expertise of delivering career-oriented aviation training to the Teamsters who have set the standards for labor benefits that have positively impacted our economy. Furthermore, we’re excited to co-develop training products that anticipate the future needs of the aviation industry. Both Spartan and Teamsters will benefit greatly from this partnership.”

“This partnership is a perfect alliance,” said Capt. David Bourne, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division. “Spartan is a well-recognized educational aviation institution that continues to invest in their student experience and innovative programs. We are excited to offer incredible educational opportunities to Teamsters and their families to support their careers today and into the future.”

The Teamsters Union Airline Division has over 90,000 members across trades such as aircraft maintenance, piloting and customer service.

Established in 1928, Spartan College has trained over 100,000 pilots and aviation technicians and currently offers diploma and associate degree programs in Aviation Maintenance Technology, Aviation Electronics Technology, Nondestructive Testing Technology/Quality Control Management and Aviation Flight. Additionally, Spartan College has developed a hybrid AMT option that maximizes student flexibility while minimizing time away from home, along with an online Bachelor of Science degree program in Technology Management.

AEA Educational Foundation Announces Scholarship Winners

The Aircraft Electronics Association’s Educational Foundation announced the names of the individuals who were awarded scholarships for the 2021-22 academic year. The individual recipients are as follows:

  • Chuck Freeland Memorial Scholarship: Ashley Vance of Monte Vista, Colorado
  • Chuck Peacock Memorial Scholarship: Aubrey Vest of Enville, Tennessee
  • David Arver Memorial Scholarship: Braden Brunson of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
  • Duncan Aviation Scholarship: Dominic Valentine of Brockton, Pennsylvania
  • Dutch and Ginger Arver Memorial Scholarship: Will Dyar of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
  • Field Aviation Scholarship: Darshan Patel of Brampton, Ontario, Canada
  • Garmin Scholarship: Jessica Ford of South Haven, Michigan
  • Garmin – Jerry Smith Memorial Scholarship: Ryan Siemens of Owasso, Oklahoma
  • Gene Baker Memorial Scholarship: Chloe Falkner of Standish, Maine
  • Gogo Business Aviation Scholarship: Haley Scheunemann of Murfreesboro, Tennessee
  • Jim Cook Honorary Scholarship: Connor Furst of North Haledon, New Jersey
  • Johnny Davis Memorial Scholarship: Nicholas Porter of Elbow Lake, Minnesota
  • Lee Tarbox Memorial Scholarship sponsored by Pacific Southwest Instruments: Gavin Herr of Chester, South Carolina
  • Marshall Temple Memorial Scholarship: Courtney Wagner of Fayetteville, Georgia
  • Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics Scholarship: Charles Helmer of Battle Creek, Michigan
  • Pat Napolitano Memorial Scholarship: Luke Douglas of Ottawa, Kansas
  • Sporty’s Foundation Scholarship: Tyler Kelly of Bonner Springs, Kansas
  • Sporty’s Foundation Scholarship: Easton Landon of Lancaster, California
  • The Stone Foundation Scholarship: Shaun Thomas Wood of Williamson, Georgia
  • Universal Avionics Scholarship: Jozef Povsic of Boca Raton, Florida

The AEA Educational Foundation annually awards scholarships to students pursuing a career in avionics or aircraft maintenance, as well as students from AEA member companies. The Foundation was created in 1990 to enhance, promote and secure the future of aviation maintenance by furthering the education of students, technicians, members of the AEA and others as determined by aviation industry needs.

Since its inception, the AEA has awarded more than $1.5 million in scholarships. Individuals interested in one or more of these scholarships for the 2022-23 academic year may download an application after Oct. 1, 2021, at aea.net/scholarship.

StandardAero Signs 40th Collins Aerospace Pro Line 4 to Pro Line 21 Modification for Falcon 50EX, Falcon 2000 and Falcon 2000EX Aircraft

StandardAero recently signed its 40th Collins Aerospace Pro Line 4 to Pro Line 21 modification/upgrade on Falcon 50EX, Falcon 2000 and Falcon 2000EX aircraft.  The 40th aircraft is a Falcon 50EX model and is scheduled to be completed at StandardAero’s Springfield, Illinois maintenance facility.   

Supported with a Dassault Falcon STC, the Pro Line 4 to Pro Line 21 modification removes the aircraft’s existing cathode ray tube displays and replaces them with liquid crystal displays.  The modification allows for features like LPV, synthetic vision, graphical XM weather and FANS-1/A, giving operators more functionality and situational awareness in the cockpit.  The modification also addresses display obsolescence issues that are present with the existing CRT Displays. 

“We have performed more of these cockpit upgrades than any other MRO provider in the world,” said Brian Campbell, Vice President of Global Sales & Marketing for StandardAero Business Aviation.  “All this experience has given us the ability to provide the highest quality product at a competitive price and faster – minimizing aircraft downtime for our customers.” 

StandardAero has the capability of performing the Collins Aerospace modification at any of its three Business Aviation facilities located in Augusta, GA, Springfield, IL, and Houston, TX.